Air's Chance
by Lily J. Potter
Summary: Another cycle complete, and so the world turns. A young airbender will have their destiny revealed. Will they rise to the occasion and prove the air nation is once again a deserving presence, or fall before the eyes of the world?
1. The festival

"… The war is over," the group of eight children chanted the remains of the verse that all knew. The crowd stood in remembrance of all the people lost during the war. The war had been over for 300 years, and all who stood in that crowd had never been in the war, but all had seen the remains. The eight children were representative of all four nations. One boy and one girl from Water, Earth, Fire, and even Air nations all stood up on the stage. The crowd started to disperse to enjoy the festival. Children ran around playing games. Teens wandered around the booths and arenas, and adults and elders socialized.

A loud racket could be heard as earthbenders and airbenders raised and leveled the earth. By the time the benders were done there was no mistake in the game that was about to take place: air ball. Two air benders leaped up on the pillars on opposite ends of the playing field. A good sized crowd had gathered to watch. Firebenders had started their own game: dueling. Water and earth benders could decide between the two or look for some other form of entertainment. The game quickly got underway. The ball rocketed off the pillars back and forth. Few people could see the ball as it rocketed through the poles. They could only see it when it struck a player down or was hit back by a player. Both players had been knocked off twice. The next to fall would lose. Neither was holding back now the ball rocketed off the poles with tremendous speed. It went back and forth until the player on the left of the field was hit by the ball and was knocked off the pole through the square wood board and into the pool of water. The crowd cheered for the triumphant bender. The other bender, a boy, furiously climbed out of the pool and charged the winner.

"I will not lose to a girl!" he yelled as he flew through the air. "You cheated Mika! Admit it! The ball never does that at full speed!" The girl, Mika, didn't even turn around, but she blasted the boy back down the field and into the pool. This was a pretty amazing feat considering the distance.

"Dantako," Mika said as she leaped over on the poles toward Dantako. "You are too arrogant. It was just a game," she said as she jumped down to help her opponent out of the pool. Dantako sat there muttering profanities under his breath. Mika held out her hand to help Dantako out of the water. Dantako stared at Mika's hand and then at Mika. The he spat at her hand and climbed out of the pool and stalked off toward the depth of the festival. Mika watched Dantako stalk off and then bent down and washed off her hand in the pool of water.

"You should have hit him," a young earthbender said to Mika as she handed her a towel. Mika took the towel from the girl who looked no older than five. As she dried off her hands she noticed that the girl was staring at something. Mika followed the little girl's gaze and saw that she was looking at Mika's head. She then noticed that the crowd was keeping a good distance from her and was sneaking glances when they thought Mika wasn't looking.

"Typical," Mika thought ", no one ever wants to treat an airbender normally. If their not staring at us then they are staying at an uncomfortable distance. You'd think that after 300 years they would accept us, but those strange stories still keep them feeling uncomfortable around us like we are gods to them or something. I guess we are pretty unusual." Mika handed the towel back to the kid and headed off to the center of the festival.

The festival was well underway. Venders were selling clothes and trinkets of all kinds. There were tents with bright colors and streamers. Children ran around dragging colorful streamers with "Peace Day" written on them. Older children played various groups sports. There were groups doing dances and practicing a multitude of bending arts. Mika wandered through the groups and looked at different vendor's booths. She stopped though when she saw a group of young airbenders. One in particular made her grin. He was standing in front of what looked like his mother. The boy's mother was securing the typical shoulder cape that airbenders wear. He was squirming with nerves as he watched the rest of his peers watched the older teen mentors give last minute tips and reminders. The boy tightly gripped a staff as his mother gave him one last look over, and then he ran off to join the rest of his group.

Mika smiled as she reminisced about the first time she had flown at the festival. She had loved how the people watched n awe as her group flew through the air. She was shaken out of the past though when she heard her name being called. She looked up and saw her friend calling her over toward the group that would be performing. Mika walked over to her friend wondering what they could want.

"Mika!" her friend said as soon as Mika was in hearing rage, "We need another person for the show. Shank was going to perform, but he hasn't shown up."

"Figures," Mika said under her breath.

"What?"

"Oh nothing," Mika replied quickly, " He probably is sucking up to that sexist moron Dantako. He is always trying to stay on that guy's good side. You know how he gets Tadoko."

"He sore because you beat him at airball?" he asked.

"Yeah," Mika replied. Just then a young airbender came flying toward themnearly thaking hteir heads with him ", Whoa! Okay, I can see why they need help. You going out?"

"No, I'll be directing the group from the ground."

"Okay," Mika said", I'll be right back." Mika ran off and then came back. She soon was up in the air with the others. She soared with the rest of the group. The crowd watched in awe. Mika forgot for a while about the strange looks she had gotten and the comments that Dantako had made. She was flying. She was in the air. She was where she belonged. She flew past her friends. On cue she swooped down almost touching the heads of the crowd. She kept a close eye on Tadoko as she flew. They preformed the last part of the act and then all landed. Mika then filed off the field with the other flyers, and put the staff up. Then she the walked over to Tadoko. She smiled at him.

"Good job," Mika said as she walked over.

"Thanks. You did very well. How did you know the program so well?" Tadoko asked.

"It's the same as last year," Mika replied ", You want to get something to eat before the fireworks? It's getting dark." Tadoko nodded. The two walked off toward the food plaza. They talked about airbending and legends. Tadoko started to talk about Aang. Both of the two knew a great deal about all the avatars and Avatar Aang was always a point of interest for the two teens. They booth were junior archivists at the Southern Air Temple, but Mika knew had read a lot more about Aang. She always knew the answers that other struggled for.

By the time they had finished eating and debating the post war relationships of the fire and Earth nations it was dark. A large crowd had gathered by the center of the grounds. Firebenders were setting up the fireworks, and kids ran around with sparklers. Mika saw them and chuckled remembering how she too had enjoyed such games in the cool night air.

"I can't wait to find out what the theme this year is," Tadoko said. Mika just nodded.Tadoko knew that she always enjoyed the fireworks no matter what the theme.

The show started with four fireworks: white, blue, orange-brown, and finally red. After the next few fireworks Mika knew the theme. It was in remembrance of the war. Although the theme had occured several times before at the festival the program always changed. The final one was of a white firework along with a blue putting out and covering up the red. Many people sat saying it had been pretty, but they didn't get the point. As Mika and Tadoko walked down toward where the flying bison were Mika got a great idea. Tadoko saw the gleam in Mika's eye.

"Mika, you've got revenge on your mind don't you?" he asked. Mika nodded.

"Is it with Dantako?"

"Yeah."

"I want in," Tadoko said.


	2. Plotting a Revenge

Mika stood staring at Dantako from behind a tree which she and Tadoko stood. Dantoko was loading his flying bison. Tadoko had already packed, but Mika still had to finish.

"What's your idea anyway?" Tadoko asked.

"Fill his pillow with bison poo," Mika replied smoothly.

"And?" Tadoko asked.

"That's all," Mika replied rather defensively ", You have a better idea?"

Still chuckling Tadoko sat down behind the tree and thought.

"Lemurs," he said.

"What!"

"Lemurs, Dantako is afraid of lemurs." With this Mika fell to the ground and started to roll around with laughter.

"You're kidding," she said sitting up wiping a tear from her eye ", this is going to be too easy!"

"Hey calm down you want the whole camp to hear!" Mika started to calm down. Then she looked from Tadoko to Dantako. Big mistake. She cracked up again. Then an apple fell out of the tree and hit her on the head. Follow by a girl who nearly took Tadoko's head off with a staff.

"You really need to learn to be more quite," she said sitting down and laying her staff on the ground.

"And you need to learn to be more careful," Tadoko said as he rubbed the back of his head. The girl had light brown hair and freckles. She laughed at Tadoko as she pulled a couple of apples down from the tree.

"Lemurs and bison poo huh?"

"Yeah!" Mika replied again defensively.

"Actually it might be interesting. It is mating season. Some lemur attractant will do wonders."

"Yeah I can see it now," Tadoko said as he reached for an apple. Mika snapped her staff up off the ground and started to march around like Dantako often did. She stopped and looked around as if she saw something.

"Ahh! Lemurs!" she cried and started running in circles. Risa started to laugh and Tadoko started to choke on his apple. Mika stopped and started to laugh. Then her face turned pale faster than you could say lemur. Risa was the first to notice she tried to get Tadoko's attention when this failed she turned and ran. Tadoko noticed when Mika grabbed him and pulled him to his feet. He turned around and saw a bald man talking to Dantako. The bald man had markings like Tadoko on his head, and markings on his arms like all three of the teens. (Mika and Risa wore their hair long so you couldn't see the markings unless they had their bangs pulled back.) Mika dropped Tadoko and ran when the man started to come up the hill. Tadoko started to run, but tripped over a root as he got back up and started to run he was pulled right back and onto the ground.

"Stay here," the bald man said sternly. Tadoko nodded. In a few minutes he came back with Risa and Mika trailing behind. He directed them to stand in front of him.

"Now you three, explain yourselves."


	3. Revenge and a Lecture

All three of them started speaking at once. The man looked over whelmed.

"Quite!" he yelled ", Now you, Risa, tell me what you three were doing here." Risa looked at the other two. Then turned back to look at the tall man.

"We were just talking Monk Riku," Risa replied. Then the monk turned to look at the other two for some sort of confirmation. It was in vain though. Tadoko had developed a sudden interest in his thumbs and Mika was deep in concentration trying to dig a trench with the toe of her foot.

"Mika," the monk said drawing out the word as a disappointed parent calls their child ", I know you have not finished packing yet. Have you?" Mika just mumbled something that seemed to end in no. Monk Riku sighed and put his thumb and fore finger on the bridge of his nose as if he had a headache. He waved his hand at Tadoko and Risa to shoo them off. They turned to leave and Mika started to follow, but Monk Riku grabbed her shoulder cape to stop her. Mika turned slowly around. Her head hung in defeat.

"Follow me," Monk Riku said. He started to walk uphill away from the rest of the air nomads loading their bison. Past the children running around. They kept climbing until they reached the top of the hill. You could see everything from there. Mika didn't look out at the view however she just stood there her head hung as if waiting for a lecture. Monk Riku just sat down under the tree and gestured for Mika to join him. Mika sat down growing more suspicious by the second.

'Why is he being so calm,' she thought. 'Maybe he's only acting. Yeah that must be it.'

"Mika," the monk finally said ", why weren't you packing?"

"I've almost finished," Mika said. Monk Riku raised an eyebrow at this as if to tell her he knew she was lying.

"Okay I'm only half-way done," Mika said.

"Yes, I know Mika," Monk Riku said ", You must learn to finish the task at hand. Mumie won't be able to catch up with the herd if you are late leaving." Mika nodded.

She knew this. Mumie was her fly bison. Even though Mumie was still young she had suffered from an extreme sickness when she was a calf. Most everyone had thought the calf was better off dead. Mika though, who had been 7 at the time, love the little bison. Mika had nurse Mumie back to health. At first Mumie couldn't fly, but now Mumie could fly and fast. Over the past few weeks though Mumie had had a relapse. She was getting better, but she still couldn't fly very fast very long. She could keep up, but wouldn't be able to catch up.

"Mika, I know you try hard, but you need to learn to finish things. Now go get ready to leave." Mika nodded and got up to leave.

"Mika one more thing I need you to meet me when you get back to the temple."

"Okay," Mika said as she started back down the hill. As she got to Mumie and gave her a moon peach from her bag. Then Mika started packing. As she lifted the last bag up onto Mumie and tied it down she saw her friends coming over Risa and Tadoko were both leading their bison. They both were wearing huge grins.

"We did it," Risa said.

"Did what?" Mika asked jumping down from Mumie's back.

"You know," Tadoko said.

"Oh," Mika said "When does it go down?"

"Tonight," Risa said.

"Great," Mika said. Then the horn signaling that it was time to leave blew. Mika, Tadoko, and Risa mounted their bison and walked them over to the rest of the herd leaving for the Southern Air temple. The horn blew again and with unison cries of 'Yip! Yip!' all of the bison flew into the air. They flew for hours. When it grew dark everyone laid out their mats on the backs of their bison. The bison knew where they were going and needed no more direction. As Mika lay down she thought she heard cries of disgust. She fell asleep with a grin on her face.


	4. Home at last!

"Mika. Mika.," Risa said to her sleeping friend. Risa tried to shake Mika awake, but Mika just pulled the blanket higher over her head. The two were on Mika's bison, Mumie. Risa's bison was close behind. As Risa looked over her shoulder to check on her bison a boy with short dirty blonde hair and the typical Air Nomad markings flew over her head almost clipping her shoulder.

"Tadoko!" Risa cried shaking her fist at the boy as he came back around. As the boy landed next to her she tried to hit him, but missed as the boy ducked.

"What are you doing on Mika's bison?" Tadoko asked storing his staff on the back of Mumie.

"Trying to wake her up," Risa said gesturing toward Mika who had slept through the entire encounter.

"Let me try," Tadoko said. He took in a deep breath. "WAKE UP MIKA!" he screamed so loud they got disapproving looks from the neighboring family riders on the bison next to them. The father turned the bison away as his baby started to cry.

"Oh that worked well," Risa said her voice dripping with sarcasm. Mika just went on sleeping. The two friends just sat there thinking until Risa's face lit up like she had a great idea. Clearing her throat she said in a perfect imitation of Monk Riku. "Mika come here this instant!" At this Mika sat bolt upright.

"Oh shit!" Mika cried. Only after this did Mika notice that her two friends were sitting next to her. Laughing.

"Ha, ha, ha," Mika said ", You two are real comedians." She said rolling up her blanket and storing it. "What were you trying to do get me to fall off?" she asked digging in her food bag for breakfast.

"Nah just trying to wake you up," Risa said. "If we wanted that we would have stuffed your pillow with bison poo." Mika almost chocked on the fruit she was eating.

"You've got to be kidding. He fell off his bison!" Risa just nodded. That was enough Mika was doubled over laughing.

"Hey you got jerky," Mika asked gesturing to Tadoko's belt bag bag.

"Yeah, take it," Tadoko said tossing the bag at Mika. Who dug out the two strips of jerky and bit into them. Tadoko and Risa both looked disgusted.

"Do you even know what that is made of?" Risa asked.

"Hey I didn't eat last night. Nini's lemur flew over here and got into my bag and ate all my fruit except for that last moon peach. When you eat it you just don't think about what it is," Mika said. Eating the last bit of jerky she reached for her water flask and rinsed her mouth out. "Bleah, I don't know how the Fire Nation eats that all the time. Tastes like smoke." Tadoko laughed and Risa shook her head.

"Well it is smoked," Risa said. The three rode like this for hours watching for landmarks they knew would mean they were near the Air Temple. A horn blew though after they flew over the small chain of islands that marked the end of Earth Nation waters and the start of the Air Islands. The three teens looked at each other.

"That wasn't a landing call," Mika said. The other two looked at her as if to say 'Duh'. Tadoko was about to speak when the horn blew again this time sounding more urgent, and all of the bison carrying families and non-airbenders rose above the clouds. After they were out of sight Risa and Tadoko hopped onto their bison and Tadoko led the way to the tight formation up ahead. Mika was about to speak that time when about 15 older airbenders who had left their families above the clouds came down and landed on the now bare bison backs. Mika saw Riku's face. He looked older and more worried than Mika had ever seen him. He was steering is bison Gyotsou, named after the great monk who taught Aang, toward the back of the herd. Mika expected some comment from him as he flew past, but only got a worried look from her master.

In a few seconds she knew why. Fire Rouges. These were Fire benders who hug on the old grudge between Air and Fire nations. There were soon fire balls flying through the air. Everyone knew what to do. The attack lasted no more than ten minutes because the monks managed to get down to the fire ships and get rid of the fire ball fuels. The all clear was blown and families came back down. Risa, Tadoko, and Mika pulled back into their formation. They all looked relieve that the monks had been able to handle it. They knew that if the Rogues had been stronger that the rest of them would have been called down, and some might have been lost. They flew on their own bison the rest of the way back and soon they all rose above the clouds. As the sun started to set the Southern Air Temple came into view in all its restored glory. Cries of joy went up through the herd. Horns blew from the herd and the island. They sounded like two long lost friends finally finding each other. Mika smiled and joined the others as they whooped with joy.

Thanks to all of you who review! You rock! Thanks for being calm 5 chapters until the air temple whew I never thought it would take that long. Hopefully you'll all like the next chapter. The revenge shall finally be complete! Mawahaha!


	5. What is a home?

"Who it sure is great to be home," Mika said standing up from tying down Mumie in the pens next to Tadoko's and Risa's bison.

"Yeah," Risa said in a relaxed voice. "The celebration was fun, but nothing can top your own home." The three walked out of the community pens. Tadoko led the way. The three friends laughed and talked all the way. (Not that they had anywhere to go.) They stopped when they heard a very familiar voice. It was Dantako. He was screaming at the top of his lungs. As he ran past the group laughed. Almost twenty lemurs were running after him.

After Dantako was safely out of hearing range Mika spoke up ", Now I'm sure I'm glad I'm home."

"Did you see him run?" Tadoko said laughing. "Even if we do get in trouble that was worth it!" The other two agreed. Seeing Dantako running from a bunch of crazy lemurs was worth any punishment the monks or their parents could hand out. The group went on walking until Tadoko heard a voice calling him.

"That's my mom," he said ",Gotta' go." He ran off towards home.

"I should probably be getting home too," Risa said looking up at the sky which was starting to turn red from the setting sun.

"Yeah see you later," Mika said as her friends went off to their homes. Their parents. Their siblings.

Mika kept on walking. She thought that she should probably go home too, but she didn't want to. She went and sat up on the hill top under a tree. This was the only part she didn't like about the Air Temple. Every day since she was old enough to understand she had hated the end of the day when Risa and Tadoko went home to their families. Mika, went home to the monks. Not to say she didn't like it with them, but everyone wants a family. A mother and father. Someone to tell you things about your past. The monks did this for Mika, but it wasn't the same.

Mika understood that she was very lucky. In the attack that had killed her parents she had been knocked unconscious and fallen off the bison into the ocean. The monks said that they had fished out and helped her get better. After that they had taken her in and raised her. Mika was very gracious, but at the same time she often regretted not knowing her parents. She was ripped out of her world of regret by the voice of Monk Riku calling her home. She stood up and started to walk off toward the major part of the temple. As she walked she felt incredibly silly. She soon came upon Monk Riku who greeted her with a relived smile. As the two turned to walk back to the temple Mika said to her self ", I do have a family."

"What?" Monk Riku asked.

"Nothing," Mika replied and smiled as she kept walking back home.

Home.


	6. Conversations

Tadoko lay on the grass looking up at the clouds. Risa was sitting under a tree. Both of them were in the middle of the main courtyard of the temple.

"Where could Mika be?" Tadoko asked propping himself up with his arms and turning to face Risa. "She was supposed to be here an hour ago, and she still isn't here."

"You know Avatar Aang sure did some neat things when he was alive," Risa said marking her page and placing her book down on the grass.

"You weren't listening were you?"

"Nope"

"Why do you read this stuff any way?" Tadoko asked. With a flick of his hand Risa's thick book flew to his hand. "It's interesting I'll admit, but you never read anything else."

"Well mister know it all. The next avatar will be an airbender, so why not figure out some things about the avatars."

"Why? Incase we met him?" Tadoko asked with a laugh.

"Or her. And yes there is a good chance you know. After all there are only two major air temples. And those few tiny setlements in the Earth Nation"

"Yeah. Whatever. You still haven't answered my first question. Where is Mika?"

"You think I know? What am I her keeper?"

"No, just thought you might have seen her."

"Tadoko, I went to the archives and then came here where you showed up no more than ten minutes later. You ever think she might be at home?"

"Doing what?" Tadoko asked putting Risa's book back on the ground.

"Sleeping. Not everyone is a morning person you know!" Tadoko wasn't listening.

He was thinking about the avatar thing. Everyone did seem to be nervous about the avatar not showing up yet. He had heard some waterbenders talking at the festival. Saying that this avatar must have abandoned them too, maybe there was another war and the avatar spirit was tired of fighting. Tadoko had later put worms in their soup, but what if they were right. After all, Risa was right the chances were pretty high that they would meet the avatar so why hadn't they after all this time?


	7. Strange dreams

"Hey! Mika! Over here!" Risa called. Tadoko looked up. He and Risa charged Mika head on.

"Where have you been?" Tadoko asked. Mika didn't answer at first she just stared off into space. "Helllooooo! Mika? Anyone home?" he asked waving his hand in front of Mika's face.

Mika, who had apparently jolted back to reality, looked at Tadoko and Risa and smiled. "Hey guys," she said "How are you?"

"Well, we have been worried about you. Whatever happened to meeting us here at 11'? Huh?" Risa asked.

"I just overslept," Mika said with a grin. Tadoko just blew it off and started talking to Mika about this new card game he had heard about. Risa though looked concerned. Mika had been acting strangely for a few days now. She had seemed more worried than she should be.

"You okay?" Risa asked. Mika tuned around looking surprised.

"Haven't been sleeping very well, but I'm fine," Mika replied. She walked over to stand under a bridge. Risa and Tadoko followed. There wasn't any river. The archway opened up to a balcony of sorts. This is where the three of them had met so long ago. All of them had flown for the first time here as children with their first gliders. Mika felt safe here.

She hadn't been looking for her friends this morning. In fact she had seen Tadoko earlier and avoided him most of the morning. She had woken up in the middle of the night again and hadn't gotten back to sleep until dawn. When she woke up she just wondered around. Thinking. Not wanting to be disturbed she had avoided Tadoko and Risa when she saw them.

"Why?" Tadoko asked.

"Nightmares," Mika said. Tadoko and Risa didn't ask what happened. They didn't need to. "I'm on a bison. It isn't Mupie though. I think I call it… Appa, but I'm not sure. As I'm flying it starts to get dark and then a really bad storm starts. I fall off and we go underwater. Then I wake up," Mika finished and leaned up against the wall of the archway and stared off into the distance.

"Maybe you're dreaming of you now, that night," Tadoko suggested cautiously.

"No," Mika said in a harsh tone, as if to stop the path that suggestion could lead the conversation. Risa and Tadoko were taken aback by Mika's tone. "Sorry. Sorry," Mika said when she saw her friends' faces. ", It's just that, I'm sure that it isn't that night. If it was I could get over it. I always have. In those dreams I have always seen my parents. Not to mention I know the names of my family's bison and none of them were Appa. My head is so crowded right now though. I could be wrong."

"Probably a lack of sleep. Right Risa? Right?" Tadoko asked. When she didn't answer he looked down to where she was sitting. Risa had her nose buried in her book. "What are you doing! I mean Mika and I are bookworms too, but would you at least put down the book long enough to listen to a friend's problems!" Tadoko was breathing heavily by the time he finished.

"Be quite and listen!" Risa said " You said you called the bison 'Appa' right? Well listen to this. Appa was Avatar Aang's bison's name." Mika and Tadoko looked confused.

"It's not like Appa's an unusual name for a bison," Tadoko said.

"Also the book explains why he disappeared a hundred years ago."

"Yes, he froze himself and his bison in an iceberg," Mika said. Risa looked at her with amazement.

"Yes," Risa said", How did you know?"

"I don't know, I just did," Mika replied. Risa and Tadoko just stared.


	8. Called Away

"Do you know why?" Risa asked.

"I think because of a storm," Mika replied. With this answer only came another silence, all they heard were the cries of the children playing in the sun accompanied by the voices of birds.

"What are you trying to say? That Mika is dreaming of a single night in the life of a dead avatar?" Tadoko said jokingly.

"Yes," Risa said in all seriousness.

"Okay now I'm thinking you're crazy," Mika said. Tadoko nodded in agreement.

"Well think about it," Risa said ", how else would you explain your nightmare and strange knowledge of Aang?" Tadoko was about to open his mouth, but Mika beat him to the answer.

"One I read, which explains your second question. Maybe I just am dreaming of what I read," Mika said.

" Yes, but," Risa started.

"Risa, thee only way she would dream it without reading would be that she was somehow there over 300 years ago," Tadoko interrupted. Risa gave him a look like he had just said what she was thinking.

"Exactly my point, I know Mika hasn't read about it because this is one of the few books with that information in it and Mika rarely if ever reads about Avatars because she knows so much," Risa said.

"But the only way I could have been there is to have been either Aang or his bison and both seem crazy to me," Mika said. Risa just smiled and crossed her arms as if her point had been made.

"Now I'm sure you're crazy. Are you suggesting that…"

"Mika," a voice said from the archway's opening ", Mika you will need to finish you conversation with your friends later. We need you to come with us right now." Mika turned around to see Monk Riku standing with the rest of the monks of the temple. She nodded and followed Monk Riku and the rest of them up the stairs. She turned around to look at her friends and they looked as surprised as she did. Then she remembered that they hadn't gotten in trouble for their little prank they pulled on Dantako at the festival. Mika's heart plummeted to her stomach.

"Great," she thought ", just when we thought we were in the clear."


	9. Destiny Revealed

Mika followed the monks up the stair well and to a secluded part of the temple. She looked at Monk Riku, he looked troubled. Mika couldn't help but think she was to blame. When Monk Riku turned to look at her she quickly looked away. When she looked back at him she thought she saw a tear in his eye. She didn't have time to look again though because they had come to their destination. The monks sat down on several raised stone seats with cushions on them. Mika sat don on her knees on the stone floor. Most air benders would feel nervous in her position, but Mika felt oddly clam as if she had been here before. She sat quietly and waited for the monks to speak. She had a tremendous feeling of anxiety right before the head monk, Monk Kin, spoke.  
"Mika," he said ", since you are close to being of age the council feels that you are now ready to know the history of your lives." Mika looked at him with surprise. Why had he said lives?  
"Lives sir?"  
"Yes Mika. You are the avatar," Monk Kin stated with deadly clam and precision. Mika felt a sudden surge of confusion and then almost burst out laughing. "This must all be a joke. That's right a joke or a dream." Mika thought. The looking at the monks Mika realized it was neither. They weren't joking. This wasn't a dream. She was the avatar. 


	10. Desperation Within

"Mika," Monk Kin prodded ", Mika, do you understand what we have said?"

"Mika," Monk Kin prodded again ", Mika, do you understand what we have said?" Mika slowly nodded, and then as if finally caught in a net of reality she shook her head vigorously as her arms flew up in protest.

"How can you just say that I'm the avatar?," she cried ", There are so many other airbenders, okay well not that many, but still how do you know for certain it's me? I mean I'm not even 16 yet! I don't know what I need to do to keep myself out of trouble here how am I supposed to help the world?"

"Calm down Mika please, there is no need to cause such a commotion. Here do you remember these?" As the monk gestured to several toys laid on the ground." Mika nodded. "These are relics from the previous avatars."

"No they're not, they're just toys. They're simple toys any kid would play with: a top a small glider, a fan, they're all just things that seem like fun to a small child," Mika argued. The monk shook his head. There was a pause and the air seemed riddled with electricity.

"Mika these **are** relics from previous avatars. **You **chose there from hundreds of other toys in a room, and not only did you choose one of these relics you chose all of them, and several were quite hard to reach for a toddler." Teh tension finally broken Mika sat in disbelief feeling as if she was drowning, but could not get out. There wasn't really any way to argue this with the monks, she relized, They were far more stubborn and hard headed than she could ever hope to be. "We realize this is a great shock to you Mika, but if you look deep inside yourself you will find you have always known this day would come and that you are the next avatar."

"On a slightly more professional note, though," Monk Boroku, the fat monk at the corner, chimed in ", we must ask you not to reveal what we have told you here to anyone, not even your friends Tadoko and Risa. There will be a ceremony on your birthday in which we will reveal you as the avatar, but until then you must keep this conversation in the highest tier of secrecy." Mika nodded. "If we have your word to keep this conversation sacred then you are dismissed."  
"You have my word," Mika replied in a monotone voice that was barely audible. Monk Kin waved his hand to dismiss her, and as she stood Mika stared at Monk Riku looking for some sort of sympathy, or emotion either way, but the look he gave was as stoic as Monk Kin's.


	11. The courtyard

The air hung heavy in the outer turret of the temple, only serving to deepen Mika's desperation. She felt as though she was sinking beneath a lion turtle, and could not get out. She could see her friends down in the courtyard several levels below, waiting for some sort of update on why the council had called for her. It seemed like ages, not hours, ago that she had sat with them plotting a prank on Dantako and laughing about the crazy lemur dance he had preformed, but now even the thought of her tormentor's humiliation couldn't cheer her up. She of all people understood the burden that had been placed upon her with those four words. The avatar is supposed to keep balance between the nations and the worlds, but she couldn't even keep balance within herself. She was always getting into some form of trouble, weather it was with the monks, or with her friends. As she asked herself all these questions she had been wandering. She slowly turned the corner into the shaded courtyard, and let her body go slack against a neighboring tree.

A breeze always blew through here, but tonight the air was still, peaceful, calming, a stark contrast to the thick air beyond the enclave. Mika loved how the trees grew here, in their own sheltering manner untouched by human hands. Here was where she would come whenever she needed to unwind. She knew that someone would probably come looking for her here, but she could care less. She needed to figure all of this out, and here was the only place she could do that.

As she sat in her small tree enclosed haven, she couldn't help but think how fitting it was that she felt safest here, in the shrine to Avatar Aang. She knew how great he was, how he had ended the war by taking the Firelord's bending from him in an epic battle, and how he had discovered the scattered airbenders that had been in hiding for generations during the war. The autobiographical texts written by him had been lost to time, but copies circle throughout the nations, and everyone knew the basics.

Tonight though she sat and examined the monument to the avatar with new eyes. His peaceful face gazed across the courtyard. At the base of the statue images from the avatar's life. Just above that, images of his closest friends, wife, and children danced along as a trim between the carved stone mat and the monument's descriptive base. They stood etched in the stone, an undeniable truth, and even though she had seen these images thousands of times throughout her life today they were different. The feeling she had always had, a feeling of connection beyond that of a child admiring a renowned hero. It finally made sense, but that, though comforting, was still unnerving.

"How am I supposed to live up to him?" Mika pondered out loud as she shook her head in defeat ", I'm not sure I have the strength to do this." She gazed upward as dusk rolled in. Watching the colors mix in an ever changing portrait, she realized how late it was getting, and turned to leave. As she did a warm breeze blew through the air and seemed to carry with it a comforting message from a long forgotten past.

"_You've been here before, everything will be alright."_

okay so I know that people are reading this so if you could please tell me what you think. :)


	12. Pi zho?

Mika quietly padded down the whitewashed stone hallway, hoping that Monk Riku had already gone to bed as she opened the door to the living quarters they shared. The monk had kindly taken her in after the deaths of her parents, and was like a father to her, but he was in fact the last person she wanted to see. She slid off her shoes and slowly shut the door behind her. The entranceway was pretty dark except for the moonlight coming in through the window at the end of the hall. Mika tiptoed past the small kitchen and Monk Riku's room, which to her delight was completely darkened, and into her room. Sliding the door shut she let out a sigh of relief. Looking around at the sparsely decorated quarters she felt the weight of all her anxieties lifted. She climbed into her window ledge bed and pulled the light green blanket up over her knees. Balled up in this alcove she sat looking out the window until she fell asleep.

A few hours later the door slid open and a bald head poked in. The monk's face was care worn. He leaned against the doorway looking at the sleeping child. He had raised her from a toddler, he had comforted her when she fell, nursed her when she was sick, and quelled her fears. Now though he was unable to provide the comfort she so desperately needed. He almost regretted asking the council to tell Mika prior to her birthday. He didn't want that day marred by such a revelation, but right now he desperately wanted to take the pain she was feeling on himself. Mika stirred in her sleep, and Riku held his breath not wanting to take her from such a peaceful world.

As he sat in the stillness of the early morning he couldn't help, but let his thoughts drift into the past. The first moments he had spent with a small frightened child. Mika had arrived at the temple scared and alone. A group of water benders had fished the small girl out of the ocean after Fire Rogues attacked Mika's parents and brought her to the monks. She had been dressed in a water tribe dress that was slightly large on her, and she clung desperately to a small toy lemur. When she first saw the monk she hid behind the leg of her transporter. Riku bent down and coaxed her over.

"That's a nice lemur," he said. Mika glanced at her toy and slowly came out from the security of the woman's shadow. After a bit more quite conversation she took Riku's outstretched hand. Squeezing her hand in a comforting fashion he took her around the temple letting her show him all the spots she loved. He had held her tight as he flew them around on his glider. She had chuckled with delight as he looped around the outer turrets. Her tiny voice began to lighten after the first few weeks. A year later she was active and bright, and Riku was as attached to her as ever. Mika's first glider was as big a step for him as for her. Taking her under his wing had helped him grow and given him a more permanent meaning. He had known that she was the avatar since she was born, but he had never imagined how it would be when this day came. Shaking his head and clearing the air with a shake of his hand he left. The first rays of the morning sun were breaking into the living quarters. He went into the kitchen and began to start a breakfast of fresh fruits and tea.

The smell of fresh tea and roasted peaches floated into Mika's room. With a yawn Mika sat up and looked over her shoulder. There she saw Monk Riku sitting at the pi zho table with a generous breakfast laid out on the ledge. He caught her eye over the brim of his tea cup and motion for her to join him. Mika rolled out of bed and brushed her bobbed hair out of her face. She sat down and stared at the food. The birds playing outside the window seemed to be the only creatures brave enough to break the silence. Mika played around with the plate of roasted peaches and fresh plums, finally taking a drink of the tea.

"Good night, Mika?" Monk Riku asked. Mika shrugged. "That's good." The awkward silence returned. Tea got colder and fruit got warmer. Finally Mika broke the silence.

"Why me?" she exploded in a familiar verbal pattern "I'm not the person for this. I'm not even ready to leave the temple alone." She finished her hands shaking. Riku sighed and waited, knowing that his young ward was not yet done. "Did you know?" she demanded "And if so why didn't you tell me?" Looking up Riku placed down his tea cup.

"Yes," he said ", I knew. I knew since the first month you were born. It is part of the reason I was chosen to raise you." Mika gave him a inquisitive stare. "I was chosen because the others would have been too obvious. We all wanted you to have a normal childhood," he explained ", and in the past month I found that I wanted to make this as easy a transition for you as possible. I know that it is hard to accept and the prospects are scary, but you need to understand that this is an honor. The avatar spirit has chosen you. You Mika, out of all the airbenders you are the avatar. It is a great honor, and you should be happy. I know your confidence is shaky right now, but in time you will learn your gifts and with that knowledge your confidence will come too." Mika just stared at the checkered table top. Riku reached over and lifted her chin so that she was looking him in the eyes. "You will be a great avatar Mika." She didn't have to say anything back her face said it all.

"So what happens next?" Mika asked

"Nothing until after the council reveals you at your birthday tomorrow," Riku replied.

"Oh," said Mika "What happens then?"

"I can't say," the monk said "I'm not quite sure myself. Only Kin and a few others know exactly what to do. That's another reason they put us together I suppose." Mika gave him an inquisitive stare. "Neither of us really knows what to do at times like these."

"Well, I might," Mika started prompting the monk return her expression two fold "pi zho?" she said pulling a sack of tiles from beneath the table. With a chuckle the monk nodded, and the game got under way.


End file.
